Monday, July 29, 2013

The Last Of Us

I've been pretty busy these last few weeks, while at the same time trying my best to take some time off.

Apparently, time off is a good thing. Time off is necessary. We released The Maleficent Seven at the start of the year, and we're gearing up to the release of Last Stand of Dead Men in EXACTLY one month's time. That's two books out in the same year, one written straight after the other, not to mention one or two other short stories for various things yet to be announced. So I've pretty much been working nonstop since November of 2012. Wow. When I say it like that, I suddenly start to feel very tired...

I'm still waiting to hear back from Harper Collins on things like the back cover reveal, and possibly putting up a sample chapter or two. I also need to pick a date for a VERY informal reader get-together in Dublin over the next few weeks. When I said I'd do this back in April I had no idea I'd be so busy, so hopefully I'll still be able to fit it in. Oh, and in a matter of days I'll be posting the tour schedule for LSODM, which will be kicking off at the Edinburgh Book Festival on August 25th- where copies of the new book WILL be on sale.

I normally HATE early releases, but seeing as how it's only a difference of four days PLUS the fact that the Edinburgh audience never reveal spoilers, I don't mind this at all.

Er... I think I've strayed from the point of this Blog entry... what was it again?

Yes! Time off! That's it!

So, I haven't ACTUALLY been able to take any time off, but then I've never been one for taking holidays. However, I have managed to watch a few movies in the evenings, and watch a few TV shows to relax, and to play a few video games. And THAT is the point of this Blog entry.

Over the past few months, I've played two very good games. Bioshock Infinite and Tomb Raider. I've talked about these games in an earlier post. Of the two, I preferred Tomb Raider. It just felt more visceral. The gameplay was excellent, the atmosphere was amazing, and the tension was nerve-shredding. But apart from all that, it was the character work that stood out. Tiny emotions flickering across Lara Croft's face, paired with such wonderful voice acting, meant that I really cared about her. I liked her, and I didn't want anything bad to happen to her. In contrast to the gritty, naturalistic world of Tomb Raider, Bioshock was hugely imaginative fun with great gameplay, stunning visuals, and a great supporting character. The best supporting character in video games, I reckoned.

And then came The Last Of Us.

The Last Of Us is survival horror. 20 years after the outbreak of a fungal virus that latches onto a person's mind and drives them insane, the world is in ruins. Survivors gather in quarantined cities. Life is miserable. Life is cheap. Death is quick, cruel, and common. But outside the walls of the cities, it's even worse. That's where the Infected roam.

(A fungal virus sounds pretty laughable, right? Type 'Cordyceps' in to any search engine. Read up on what it does to ants. Now imagine what it'd do to people.)

You control Joel, a man in his 50s who has to escort Ellie, a 14 year old girl, across America. They go from city to town to suburb to countryside to mountains, and not only do they have to avoid the Infected, they have to avoid most of the other survivors as well. Because these are NOT nice people.

This is a game that combines the best elements of both Tomb Raider and Bioshock Infinite. The world is grim and gritty but so, so beautiful. Lush greenery spills up from cracked cement. The sky is a million shades of orange at dusk. But the action is brutal. And the supporting character is astonishing.

Play this game for a few hours and you'll start to really care about Joel and Ellie. Play it for a few hours more and you'll find yourself terrified. You'll hear the clicking of the Infected around you as you crouch in the darkness, and you'll freeze in fear. Why? Because you want to keep Ellie safe. That's ALL you'll care about.

This is one of the best games I've ever played. Is it the most fun? No, that'd probably go to one of the Uncharted games, just for sheer entertainment. But this is definitely the scariest, the most tense, and the most involving. It sucks you in and it doesn't let you go. This is a masterpiece of gaming that will be used as a benchmark for all games that come after, and as a piece of storytelling it succeeds where so many other stories fail.

It's brilliant. If you're over 18, then ready yourself, and go play it.

Me and my friends did the 'pass out' challenge today, which is highly dangerous. I found this out afterwards though.I fainted and it was fun and then it kept not working and then I had a flashback and it was so scary that I stopped being dizzy and then yeah and then I forgot what happened, because I was going to tell my friends, but I forgot.But it was so cool, even though it's dangerous and stuff.

Actually, Derek, come to think of it, it seems that you and my brother have pretty similar taste in video games... He favours Uncharted, too. :3 ^^

@Adra: I'VE BEEN TRYING TO WATCH SILENCE OF THE LAMBS FOR SO LONG.BUT I PARTIALLY DON'T WANT TO BECAUSE LIKE HANNI WHEN HE'S YOUNGER AND UNDERCOVER-LY AND HAS MIKKELSEN CHEEKBONES. BUT I MOSTLY NEED TO WATCH IT AT SOME POINT. :PANd, also need to read the Red Dragon, and the other books. And the other films.Ugh. I need more time for Hannibal in my life. :P

I can't control my anger and I've beenAbout to explode far too many timesI've seen my dreams becoming more violentEvery time that I see youNo matter how you try to define itI have been broken too many timesToo much emotion, too long confined hasWeakened the wall that protects you

Ease your mindThis moment will pass if you just . . .

Leave it aloneLeave it aloneEvery timeMy dysfunction is one your mindWhen you find that you're at odds with your desireJust leave it aloneLeave it aloneEvery timeMy destruction is on your mindBefore you find that you haveTested my resolve one too many times

I am no stranger, you know that I've beenPressed to the wall far too many timesHuard your behaviour or you will find myMurderous nature surround youOthers have wandered over the line thatAwaken the monster too many timesLeave it unspoken and you will find anEnd to the violence if you can

Ease your mindThis moment will pass if you just . . .

Leave it aloneLeave it aloneEvery timeMy dysfunction is one your mindWhen you find that you're at odds with your desireJust leave it aloneLeave it aloneEvery timeMy destruction is on your mindBefore you find that you haveTested my resolve one too many times

Ease your mindThis moment will pass if you just . . .

Leave it aloneLeave it aloneEvery timeMy dysfunction is one your mindWhen you find that you're at odds with your desireJust leave it aloneLeave it aloneEvery timeMy destruction is on your mindBefore you find that you haveTested my resolve one too many times

I AM NOT A BARBARIAN. I AM A CIVILISED MEMBER OF MY COMMUNITY. AND I DO NOT APRECIATE BEING CALLED A PEASANT. I AM MIDDLE CLASS PERSON. and I returned because I missed you peoples is that ok?!? but I may dissapear and return in a million years because I can mwahahaha :)

*hugs Ieni back**wails* BRIANNA AND ORC AND CAINE AND JACKB R I A N N A AND C A I N EMY TWO FAVOURITE CHARACTERSLORD SAVE USMY WINDOW IS OPEN YOU CAN CLIMB IN TO MY ROOMjust try not to die bc 1D and LM posters everywherei like my SP corner though :)

I HAVE ALL 1D'S SONGS AND COVERS ON MY PHONE AND LIKE 19 VIDEOS LOL XD brianna said lol*sobs*

Mel - You missed roleplaying and stuffs... :P but that's it *nods*

IT'S LIAM'S BIRTHDAY IN A MONTHAND NOW LSODM IS OUT ON THE SAME DAYOH LORDY LOUIS I WILL BAWL

Can we fall one more time?Stop the tape and rewind?And if you walk awayI know I'll fade,Cause there is nobody else.It's gotta be youuuuuuuu!Only yoUUUUUUUUUUU!IT'S GOT TO BE YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!ONLY YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUu!

AND I'M LIKE OW!NEVER THOUGHT IT'D HURT SO BADGETTING OVER YOU-OOHAND OW!YOU'RE GIVING NE A HEART ATTACKLOOKING LIKE YOU DO-OOHCAUSE YOU'RE ALL I EVER WANTEDTHOUGHT YOU WOULD BE THE ONEIT'S OW!GIVING ME A HEART ATTACKGETTING OVER YOU-OOH-OOH-OOH!~

@Ayse: That's just unlucky, :cSimilarly, last week, when a certain artist would've been playing a show up here that I'd have liked to see, I was in London. The day after I returned home, they were playing a show in London. Awesome can be very annoying. :P ^^

I've felt the hate rise up in meKneel down and clear the stone of leavesI wander out where you can't seeInside my shell I wait and bleedI've felt the hate rise up in meKneel down and clear the stone of leavesI wander out where you can't seeInside my shell I wait and bleed

GOODBYE!

I wipe it off on a tileThe light is brighter this timeEverything is 3D blasphemyMy eyes are red and goldThe hair is satnding straight upThis is not the way I picture meI can't control my shakesHow the hell did I get here?Something about this, so very wrongI have to laugh out loudI wish I didn't like thisIs it a dream or a memory?

I've felt the hate rise up in meKneel down and clear the stone of leavesI wander out where you can't seeInside my shell I wait and bleedI've felt the hate rise up in meKneel down and clear the stone of leavesI wander out where you can't seeInside my shell I wait and bleed

Get out of my head coz I don't need thisWhy didn't I see this?Well I'm a victim -Manchurian candidate!I have sinned by justMaking my mind up and taking a breath away

I've felt the hate rise up in meKneel down and clear the stone of leavesI wander out where you can't seeInside my shell I wait and bleedI've felt the hate rise up in meKneel down and clear the stone of leavesI wander out where you can't seeInside my shell I wait and bleed

GOODBYE!

You haven't learnt a thingI haven't changed a thinkMy flesh was in my bonesThe pain was always freeYou haven't learnt a thingI haven't changed a thingMy flesh was in my bonesThe pain was always free

I've felt the hate rise up in meKneel down and clear the stone of leavesI wander out where you can't seeInside my shell I wait and bleedI've felt the hate rise up in meKneel down and clear the stone of leavesI wander out where you can't seeInside my shell I wait and bleed

And I just found this interview with Matt and Justin from MCS which I've not read before, and this one question:If you had to marry a male celebrity, who would it be and why?

Matt: Well, it would have to be someone who could, you know, sing me a nice love song... so with that in mind, some sort of crooner, let's go with Jeff Buckley. That man could sing. I'd need some songs in life.

@Sapphire Lore: Welcome! :)*offers a cookie* It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance! D'you mind if I/we call you Lore, or have you a preference? Just, there's another Saph around already. :)

@Adra: YOU DON'T NEED TO KNOW ANYTHINGS :PI know about 1D only what I hear from Mara and my Directioner friend/s. I'm distant, but always happy to talk about pretty much anything (within fair reason. :P) :)

... I need to stop using Hannibal quotes to describe things. At some point, it's going to start getting creepy. :P

@Adra: Nobody knows the majority of what I listen to, either. But random spam goes on, and sometimes one thing can be related to another, and, IDK.If there's anything you want to say, say it, I guess. :)

It still feels like something's going to explode. Like it's not realt over. I mean... I don't know, and I'm sorry if that offends anyone, I just feel...tension of some sort whenever I come on here anymore.

@Star: My dad makes no involvement, but my mother rules, to some extent, when it comes to cake.We've had a toadstool-fairy-house, we've had pokémon, we've had spongebob and trains, we've had lightsabres and tigers and a circus and the best damn dalek you'd ever see made out of cake, icing, and bronze/gold dust. :3Not that I'm disagreeing, but I think some of ours were pretty cool too. :PAnd, hedgehogs and rockclimbing both sound awesome. :)